Written Answers Thursday 22 September 2005

Scottish Executive

Advocacy Services

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring forward proposals to ensure that vulnerable people have access to independent advice in respect of appropriate care plans.

Lewis Macdonald: Vulnerable adults across Scotland have access to a wide range of advocacy services on any aspect of their life. We have issued guidance to that effect to local authorities and the NHS as part of the implementation of single shared assessment and care management, specific legislation such as the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2003, and the development of independent and other advocacy services more generally. We also fund national bodies responsible for supporting and developing advocacy services. We have no plans to extend these arrangements in the specific way suggested.

Alcohol Misuse

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to change current official recommendations on alcohol consumption to expectant mothers, given the scientific evidence of the potential of alcohol consumption during pregnancy to induce fetal alcohol syndrome.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive’s current guidance states that occasional drinking should not affect a developing baby but that on the whole alcohol should be avoided. Guidance will be kept under review in the light of consideration of the latest available information.

Bankruptcy

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will end the diligence power of arresting the whole bank account of an actual or alleged debtor as part of its reform of personal bankruptcy and diligence law and, if so, when such a proposal will be presented.

Allan Wilson: The Bankruptcy and Diligence (Scotland) Bill, to be introduced during this session, will introduce a protected minimum balance when funds in bank and similar accounts are arrested. That balance will be exempt from arrestment, and therefore any amount in an account up to the cut-off point can be used by the debtor. The cut-off point below which amounts cannot be arrested will be linked to the protected amount for monthly paid debtors subject to earnings arrestment.

Civil Servants

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are employed in the Transport Group of its Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department.

Tavish Scott: There are currently 262 posts in the Transport Group of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department.

Civil Servants

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff from the Transport Group of its Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department will be transferred to the National Transport Agency.

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new staff will be employed by the National Transport Agency in addition to those transferred from the transport group of the Executive’s Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department.

Tavish Scott: It is expected that there will be around 200 staff in the agency. Most of these will transfer from the transport group, however, there will be a number of new posts, largely resulting from an increased management role in the public transport major projects and additional responsibilities devolved to Scottish ministers through the UK Railways Act. However, the total number of new staff cannot be estimated at this stage until the number of staff transferring is known.

Cross-Party Groups

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has in respect of the involvement by ministers or it in cross-party groups, particularly in relation to conflict of interest.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Ministerial Code indicates that ministers should not take up membership of cross party groups and that on taking up office they should resign membership of any such group to avoid any conflict of interest.

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many parents attended seminars on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and its code of practice.

Robert Brown: Fourteen consultation events were held on the draft code of practice, with approximately 40% of places at the events being reserved for parents or representatives from parents’ organisations. Around 900 people attended, but it is not known how many of these were parents.

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many parents responded to the consultation on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and its code of practice.

Robert Brown: This information is not available since respondents were not required to indicate whether or not they were parents. Four hundred and thirty-five written responses were received to the consultation exercise on the draft code of practice. These included 67 responses from individuals, 71 from school boards and 40 from voluntary organisations representing a range of children’s and parents’ interests.

Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17436 by Euan Robson on 23 June 2005, what action local authorities have taken to inform parents about the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

Robert Brown: Local authorities are taking a wide variety of approaches to inform parents about the act. These include involving parents’ groups in delivering awareness raising sessions for parents and carers; local authority seminars to raise parental awareness and to seek their views on future service delivery; meetings with representatives of school boards and parents’ voluntary organisations; discussion with parents of children with a record of needs; updating information and advice materials for parents, and disseminating information on council websites and through voluntary sector newsletters.

Employment

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to bring to a successful conclusion the current dispute between First Bus and the Transport and General Workers’ Union in Edinburgh, the Lothians and central Scotland.

Tavish Scott: The current dispute between First Bus and the Transport and General Workers’ Union in Edinburgh, the Lothians and central Scotland is a matter for the company and union involved and the Scottish Executive has no locus to intervene.

Environment

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any registered watercraft users of Loch Lomond have had their registration removed in each year since 1999 and, if so, for what reason.

Rhona Brankin: The registration of watercraft users on Loch Lomond is an operational matter for the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority.

Ferry Services

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18195 by Tavish Scott on 24 August 2005, why the system of support for ferry services to the Northern Isles was changed in 1998 from a tariff rebate subsidy to a block grant payment.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18195 by Tavish Scott on 24 August 2005, why changing the system of support for ferry services to the Northern Isles from a tariff rebate subsidy to a block grant payment led to an increase in state subsidy.

Tavish Scott: In 1993, the then Scottish Office commissioned a Shipping Subsidies Review to find a longer term solution to the financial viability of ferry services to Orkney and Shetland. That review concluded that Tariff Rebate Subsidy (TRS), the mechanism then used to support P&O Scottish Ferries’ Northern Isles operations, was no longer an adequate subsidy system for the support of shipping. The main reasons were that: TRS failed to provide for the replacement of vessels, as it could not guarantee the profitability required for such major investments or the security needed to attract a long-term commitment to the routes; TRS encouraged excess capacity and competition, particularly from freight-only competitors, that depressed profitability, threatening the long-term viability of all shipping operations; TRS could not compensate for any fall in traffic revenues, and, as PO Scottish Ferries’ revenues from freight carryings fell due to competition, so did its overall profitability to the point that it was no longer commercially viable.

  The Shipping Subsidies Review Report recommended that The Scottish Office should introduce new arrangements based on a block grant set to reflect estimated volumes, revenues and costs. Scottish Office Ministers announced in October 1994 their decision to award a block grant for the period 1997-2002 and an open competitive tendering exercise began in June 1995. Three bids were received and after thorough consideration, Scottish Office Ministers concluded that the bid from P&O Scottish Ferries offered the best value for money. Scottish Office Ministers subsequently agreed that P&O Scottish Ferries should be paid a basic annual block grant, subject to clawback arrangements should the company’s profits exceed forecasts.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18181 by Tavish Scott on 24 August 2005, what the duration is of the lease agreements, including start and end dates.

Tavish Scott: NorthLink leases its three roll-on/roll-off passenger/vehicle vessels from Royal Bank Leasing Ltd under chartering arrangements signed by them on 22 December 2000. Those arrangements provided that, subject to detailed terms and conditions, each charter would run from the delivery date of each vessel until 1 October 2007.

  However, and as part of the contractual amendments made to enable the early termination of the contract between the Scottish ministers and NorthLink and the start of the proposed new contract with another operator, an early termination agreement made on 27 September 2004 provides that the end date for each charter shall be the date, to be set by the Scottish ministers in due course, for the end NorthLink’s contract for the provision of the Northern Isles ferry service.

  Those contractual amendments also ensure that the three ro-ro vessels can be made available to the incoming operator from the start of the new contract currently being tendered.

Ferry Services

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions its officials have travelled to Poland in connection with the construction of passenger ferry vessels for Caledonian MacBrayne; how many officials have been involved in these visits; what the cost of these visits has been, and whether more such visits are planned.

Tavish Scott: No Scottish Executive officials have visited Poland in connection with the construction of vessels for CalMac and no such visits are planned for the future. Responsibility for the procurement of Caledonian MacBrayne vessels rests with that company rather than with Scottish ministers.

Fire Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15476 by Iain Gray on 14 May 2001, what the cost of fuel for fire service vehicles was in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04 and (d) 2004-05, broken down by fire board.

Hugh Henry: This information is not held centrally however we have been provided with the following information from fire and rescue services:

  

Fire and Rescue Service
(a) 2001-02
(b) 2002-03
(c) 2003-04
(d) 2004-05


Central Scotland
£96,481
£78,303
£92,859
£95,366


Dumfries and Galloway
£39,212
£35,538
£39,545
£43,415


Fife
£91,000
£96,000
£105,000
£106,000


Grampian
£103,728
£112,046
£132,491
£122,882


Highlands and Islands
£83,710
£102,984
£100,997
£97,593


Lothian and Borders
£233,359
£218,624
£247,807
£253,012


Strathclyde
£621,495
£588,901
£663,836
£665,747


Tayside
£125,400
£121,300
£130,600
£139,300

Health

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its decision not to establish a register of lupus sufferers.

Lewis Macdonald: No.

Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many international medical graduates there have been working in training posts in Scotland in the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the number of Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) medical and dental staff in training grades, outwith the United Kingdom, over the last five years is shown in the following table.

  Country of Qualification Outwith the UK for HCHS Medical and Dental Training Grades by Time

  

 
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Total Training Grades
891
952
1,087
1,166
1,339


Registrar Group
314
339
402
386
431


Senior House Officers
525
525
636
726
762


House Officers
52
88
49
54
146



  Source: ISD Scotland, Ref: S2W-19088 (IR2005-02817).

  International migration has been on the increase in recent years and as the market place for health care professionals has become global this will continue to shape the supply and demand of workforce capacity. To this end, the NHSScotland, in line with UK policy, will be introducing a Code of Practice for international recruitment of health care professionals which will prohibit active recruitment from developing countries. However, appointments to medical training and substantive positions are made via an open recruitment process and NHSScotland does not give preference to any applicant on the basis of their country of origin.

Health

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of 2005 Scottish physiotherapy graduates found employment as junior physiotherapists.

Mr Andy Kerr: This data will not be available to the department until January/February 2006. Traditionally, employment for physiotherapy graduates has been good, 91% in 2003 and 86% in 2004. Initial information available to the department suggests that students that have only recently graduated, may find it more difficult to find employment in their first year than in previous years and it will take until later in the year for these new graduates to find positions in NHSScotland.

  Scottish graduates are free to apply to any NHS health board employer across Scotland for junior physiotherapy posts. However, some flexibility may be necessary in order that options available to the individual for employment are not restricted or limited, as some geographical areas and some work settings are more popular than others.

Housing

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in its housing budget to allocate additional funds per house to enable new social housing to include sustainable energy-conserving features which will repay the initial capital costs.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  There are no current plans to provide additional ring fenced resources to cover the costs incurred by sustainable energy-conserving features in new social housing. Social housing projects which include sustainable energy-conserving features will be assessed on their merits with such measures being financially supported subject to value for money criteria. Communities Scotland will continue to encourage RSLs to consider the whole-life cost of their design proposals and is considering ways of incentivising greater energy efficiency.

  The Scottish Executive promotes sustainable development practices for all housing development grant-funded by Communities Scotland. This involves the measurement of the following indicators for all projects:

  energy efficiency as measured by average performance SAP ratings average energy (space + water heating) costs per annum (£) average CO2 emissions per annum (tonnes) number of new units built on "brownfield" sites existence of a verifiable sustainable development policy (for RSLs engaged in housing development) space standards as per average resident capacity the level of housing for varying needs barrier free compliance the level of secured by design dwellings.

Housing

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that cost benchmarks for new social housing reflect the true costs of house building in areas where there is high demand on the building industry.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland ensures that cost benchmarks for new social housing reflect the true costs of house building in all areas, irrespective of whether there is high demand on the building industry or not, by using data on projects approved in the previous financial year alongside adjustment factors to allow for variances in tender prices in the current year.

Income

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of (a) households and (b) individual citizens live on an annual income of (i) up to £5,000, (ii) £5,001 to £10,000, (iii) £10,001 to £20,000, (iv) £20,001 to £30,000, (v) £30,001 to £40,000, (vi) £40,001 to £50,000, (vii) £50,001 to £60,000, (viii) £60,001 to £80,000, (ix) £80,001 to £100,000, (x) £100,001 to £200,000, (xi) £200,001 to £300,000, (xii) £300,001 to £500,000, (xiii) £500,001 to £1 million and (xiv) more than £1 million.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is set out in the following two tables. The proportions in the tables are estimates derived from (a) the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and (b) the FRS’s Individual Incomes Analysis.

  Due to the small sample sizes in the FRS in Scotland, the latest three years of data have been used to derive the proportions. However, the resulting sample was still too small to allow disaggregation for each of the higher income bands requested; the higher bands have therefore been grouped together.

  (a) Total Annual Household Income: Households by Income Band

  Scotland: 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04

  

Total Household Income
Proportion of Households


Up to £5,000
3%


£5,001 to £10,000
19%


£10,001 to £20,000
30%


£20,001 to £30,000
18%


£30,001 to £40,000
12%


£40,001 to £50,000
7%


£50,001 to £60,000
4%


£60,001 to £80,000
4%


£80,001 to £100,000
1%


£100,001 and over
1%



  Source: Family Resources Survey for 2001-02, 2003-03 and 2003-04.

  Note: Due to rounding figures may not sum exactly to 100%.

  (b) Total Annual Individual Income1 - Adults by Income Band

  Scotland: 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04

  

Total Individual Income
Proportion of Adults


Up to £5,000
21%


£5,001 to £10,000
26%


£10,001 to £20,000
31%


£20,001 to £30,000
13%


£30,001 to £40,000
5%


£40,001 to £50,000
3%


£50,001 and over
2%



  Source: Family Resources Survey’s Individual Income Analysis for 2001-02, 2003-03 and 2003-04.

  Note:

  1. Excludes any income which is not accrued to the individual in their own right, and also excludes student loans, Social Fund loans and benefits in kind.

  2. Due to rounding figures may not sum exactly to 100%.

Land Court

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crofters Commission will publish advice given by its officials to its board in respect of disputes with the Land Court over Taynuilt in Argyll and Ocraquoy in Shetland and whether it will make copies of such advice available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Rhona Brankin: There are no disputes between the Crofters Commission and the Scottish Land Court. The Scottish Land Court has had no role in the recent de-crofting case in Taynuilt, Argyll. The Scottish Land Court recently upheld an appeal against a Crofters Commission decision in relation to a decrofting application in Ocraquoy, Shetland.

  I have asked the Chief Executive of the Crofters Commission to consider this request. He has undertaken to make information on these two cases available by placing copies of relevant documents in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. number 37518). I will inform the member when these are available.

Maternity Services

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many maternity beds there have been in each NHS board area in total and broken down by maternity hospital in each of the last six years, showing also year-on-year percentage changes.

Lewis Macdonald: A table detailing the number of maternity beds in NHS board areas in the last six years, along with year on year percentage changes given have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37418).

  This table shows the average daily number of beds, which were staffed and available for the reception of in-patient and day cases. Borrowed and temporary beds are included, beds in day bed units are excluded.

Mental Health

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed with dementia since 2000, broken down by (a) age and (b) NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: The exact number of people newly diagnosed with dementia in Scotland is not available centrally. However, national estimates of the numbers of people consulting for dementia since 2000 can be given based on the number of patients seen for the condition in general medical practices participating in PTI (Practice Team Information). PTI data are obtained from a sample of Scottish general practices whose population is broadly nationally representative of the Scottish population in terms of age, sex, deprivation category and rural/urban mix.

  The number of participating practices is too small to allow estimates for individual NHS board areas.

  Estimated annual number of patients with a first GP diagnosis of dementia by age group; years ending 31 December 2000-04:

  Estimated Number of First GP Diagnoses

  

Age Group
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Under 55
60
70
60
30
20


55-64
90
120
110
140
140


65-74
630
740
750
630
490


75+
3,320
3,130
3,140
3,040
2,730


All ages
4,110
4,060
4,070
3,840
3,380



  Source: ISD Scotland.

Oil Industry

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any estimate of how long the oil industry can be expected to continue providing employment in Scotland.

Allan Wilson: No estimates have been made by the Executive of how long employment will continue in the oil industry.

  Current employment levels within the oil industry are directly related to the economic life of production which depends on a broad range of factors, including the price of oil.

  The Department of Trade and Industry estimate that oil production in the North Sea could be sustained at significant levels to at least 2035. Employment relating to production of oil should therefore continue to at least this date.

  However, as Aberdeen is a global centre of excellence, employment within the oil industry should continue even after production ceases from the North Sea.

Osteoporosis

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission in respect of its Report on osteoporosis in the European Community: Action for Prevention , published in 1998.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has had no such discussions.

Pensioners

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) pensioner households and (b) single pensioners live on an annual income of (i) up to £10,000, (ii) £10,001 to £15,000, (iii) £15,001 to £20,000, (iv) £20,001 to £30,000, (v) £30,001 to £50,000 and (vi) more than £50,000.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is set out in the following two tables. The figures in the tables are estimates derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS).

  Due to the small sample sizes in the FRS in Scotland, the latest three years of data have been used; the figures in the tables are therefore an average over the three years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04. The resulting sample was still too small, however, to allow disaggregation for each of the higher income bands for single pensioners; the higher bands for this group have therefore been grouped together.

  (a) Total Annual Household Income: Pensioner1 Households by Income Band

  Scotland: 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04

  

Total Household Income
Average Number of Pensioner Households,
Over Last 3 Years


up to £10,000
260,000


£10,000 to £15,000
190,000


£15,000 to £20,000
80,000


£20,000 to £30,000
70,000


£30,000 to £50,000
30,000


over £50,000 
10,000



  Source: Family Resources Survey: 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04.

  Note: 1. A pensioner household is defined as either one pensioner living alone or a couple where at least one is a pensioner and the household does not contain any children.

  (b) Total Annual Household Income: Single Pensioners by Income Band

  Scotland: 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04

  

Total Household Income
Average Number of Single Pensioners
Over Last 3 Years


up to £10,000
220,000


£10,000 to £15,000
100,000


£15,000 to £20,000
30,000


over £20,000 
20,000



  Source: Family Resources Survey: 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it and its agencies have taken to implement the recommendations of Sheriff Waldron, contained in her written determination resulting from a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of a prisoner in HM Prison Perth on 13 July 2003, published on 9 December 2004 and, in particular, what action has been taken (a) in respect of reviewing how prisoners with learning difficulties or mental illness are identified in prisons and (b) in devising a protocol to ensure appropriate access to medical care and advocacy services is provided and how any such action taken applies to HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  All prisoners in the SPS establishments and HM Prison Kilmarnock who participate in Education programmes or who self-refer with possible learning difficulties are subject to assessment and support from Prison Education Units, based on identified need.

  Additionally, every prisoner is subject to a health care assessment on admission, which includes questions on psychiatric history. Prisons operate multi-disciplinary mental health teams, who receive referrals and plan the appropriate level of support for the individual, including any specific advocacy requirements.

  The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 comes into force on 5 October 2005. In preparation, the SPS will be initiating communication with local authorities regarding securing the availability of independent advocacy to people in prison with a mental disorder.

Prison Service

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are issued by the Scottish Prison Service Rehabilitation and Care Directorate for the care of prisoners over 60.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The care of prisoners is guided by the recently revised SPS Healthcare Standards. The aim is to deliver health care appropriate to the individual needs of people. Feedback from groups of prisoners from a number of Establishments is that they do not wish to be treated differently solely on grounds of age, but older prisoners may present with additional needs, and individual care plans need to be designed accordingly. A recent specific recommendation by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons regarding older people in HM Prison Peterhead has been met.

Road Accidents

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road traffic accidents resulting in (a) injury and (b) fatality there have been on the A713 within the South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire local authority areas in each of the last five years.

Tavish Scott: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. These returns cover only road accidents in which one or more people were injured: they do not cover damage only accidents.

  The following table gives the numbers of such accidents which were identified in the STATS 19 returns as occurring on the A713 in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and those that had at least one fatality.

  It should be noted that the statistics given below are based upon the data which are held in the central statistical database and which were collected by the police at the time of the accident and subsequently reported to the Executive. They may differ from any figures which the local authorities would provide now, because they do not take account of any subsequent changes or corrections that local authorities may have made to the statistical information, for use at local level, about the location of each accident, based upon their knowledge of the roads and areas concerned.

  Injury Road Accidents on the A713 in South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire

  

Area
Type
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


South Ayrshire
All injury road accidents
7
8
7
6
7


of which fatal accidents
0
0
0
0
0


East Ayrshire
All injury road accidents
20
18
15
13
27


of which fatal accidents
0
1
1
2
1

Road Accidents

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road traffic accidents resulting in (a) injury and (b) fatality there have been on all roads within the South Ayrshire local authority area in each of the last five years.

Tavish Scott: Data about injury road accidents are collected by the police and reported to the Scottish Executive using the STATS 19 statistical report form. These returns cover only road accidents in which one or more people were injured: they do not cover damage only accidents.

  The table gives the numbers of such accidents which were identified in the STATS 19 returns as occurring in South Ayrshire in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and those that had at least one fatality.

  Injury Road Accidents in South Ayrshire by Severity

  

 
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


All injury road accidents
335
326
299
300
271


Of which: Fatal accidents
5
7
9
6
10

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6855 by Sarah Boyack on 29 September 2000, whether it has carried out any further assessment of the likely benefits of a bypass for the A7 at Selkirk.

Tavish Scott: This project is not currently in the Route Action Plan for the A7 but discussions on the action plan continue with Scottish Borders Council.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the delay to the M74 extension will have on its transport budget in the current financial year and each of the next two years and whether it will provide a table comparing the provision for this scheme in this financial year and the next two years (a) before and (b) after the decision to delay its commencement.

Tavish Scott: We expect that the allowance previously made for the acquisition of land for the M74 in the current financial year will not now be fully utilised and therefore £54.5 million will be set aside to meet deferred payment in future years. Future provision for construction will depend on the outcome of the Court of Session hearing scheduled for June/July 2006. Provision for this scheme is in the table below.

  

 
Estimates at 26 Oct 2004
(£ Million)
Current Estimates
(£ Million)


2005-06
125.447
77.839


2006-07
54.126
Dependent on outcome of Court of Session Hearing


2007-08
84.798

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it estimates that the (a) M74 extension, (b) A68 Dalkeith Bypass, (c) A8000 upgrade and (d) new crossing of the Forth at Kincardine will commence and be completed and what the current estimated total cost is of each project.

Tavish Scott: I cannot add to the information given on the M74 in my previous reply to parliamentary question S2W-18488 answered on 9 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  The other information you ask for is given in the following table.

  

Scheme
Date for Commencement
Date for Completion
Current Estimated Total Cost
(£ Million)


A68 Dalkeith Bypass
Summer 2006
Summer 2008
38.7


Upper Forth Crossing at Kincardine
Summer 2006
Summer 2008
110.0



  The A8000 upgrade is a local road and therefore a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council.

Roads

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the third generation term maintenance contracts for management and maintenance of the Scottish trunk road network will include provision for the regular inspection and maintenance of those sections of cycle route that are located (a) adjacent to trunk roads and (b) within the trunk road boundary.

Tavish Scott: Provision for the regular inspection and maintenance of those cycle routes for which the Scottish Executive’s Roads Authority has been included in these contracts.

Scottish Water

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7661 by Sarah Boyack on 13 September 2000, what fuel costs have been incurred by each water authority in each year since 1999.

Rhona Brankin: This is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and I have asked the Chief Executive to write to you on this.

Smoking

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what dates it considered for the introduction of the smoking restrictions provided for by the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive considered a range of dates and subsequently selected 26 March 2006 for the introduction of the relevant provisions of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005.

Smoking

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it consulted the members of the National Smoke Free Areas Implementation Group about the date for introduction of smoking restrictions under the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 prior to announcing the date and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Lewis Macdonald: Ministers regarded the choice of date for introducing the smoking restrictions as a matter for them and consequently the Executive did not seek the views of members of the National Smoke-free Areas Implementation Group on this issue. The start of British Summer Time had tentatively been mooted for some time as a possible date for the law to take effect, drawing on the positive experiences of a similar start time for smoke-free legislation in both Ireland and New York.

Smoking

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what budget it has set aside to publicise the introduction of smoking restrictions under the terms of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-19153 on 21 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Telecommunications

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding or grants are available to people and communities in rural areas towards the cost of installing domestic telephone lines.

Tavish Scott: None. Telecoms regulation is a reserved matter and fixed landline access is within the scope of the universal service obligation (USO), the details of which are determined by the regulator, OFCOM.

Transport

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the National Transport Agency’s budget, excluding the budget for major infrastructure, will be spent on operating rail services.

Tavish Scott: In 2006-07, £264.8 million of the National Transport Agency’s Budget will be spent on operating rail services. The agency’s total budget for 2006-07 will be increased to include sums to reflect the transfer from the Department of Transport of the responsibility for funding Network Rail in Scotland, and agency running costs. The final budget has still to be determined and will be published in due course.

Water Charges

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11609 by Lewis Macdonald on 19 November 2004, whether the responses to the consultation on discounted water charges for households in receipt of council tax benefit were published.

Rhona Brankin: Yes. Responses to the "Paying for Water Services 2006-10" consultation, together with the analysis, were lodged in the Scottish Executive library in November 2004 and February 2005 respectively.

  Ministers thereafter announced on 9 February 2005 that a new water charges reduction (of up to 25%) for households with two or more adults and which are in receipt of council tax benefit would take effect from 1 April 2006.